Dog Day Afternoons
by The Villain A
Summary: Sesshomaru runs the family business; Inuyasha is the muscle behind it. Is it true he has no conscience, or is he selective about who he cares for? Major OOC, especially as more characters show up. Gory; not for the weak-stomached.
1. Chapter 1

As an ordinary middle-class house sat in an idyllic middle-class neighborhood, a rather dented red sports car still in decent condition pulled into the driveway of said house, stopping just short of the shiny Lincoln-esque car already in it, and blocking the sidewalk in the process. The rap song playing on the stereo stopped. ceasing the tremors that had been reverberating along the ground. The driver's side door opened, and out stepped a strapping young man whose body was composed of pure muscle. With a toned torso clearly defined beneath his red tank-top, blue jeans tight on the hips, dark sneakers skin tan almost to the point of being bronze, and flowing black locks down to his waste with iron eyes to match, Inuyasha was the kind of specimen any woman dreamed of. At 19, Inuyasha was a true, if casual, professional. Hands in his pockets, Inuyasha swaggered to the front porch, casting an idle glance at the expensive car he had parked behind. Refocusing his attention on the front door, he pressed the bell, not in any hurry. After about a minute, the door was pulled back, and a man in his early twenties with considerably shorter black hair appeared. Inuyasha could tell by his rumpled clothes and stubble he had gotten up recently, perhaps just now, but the man's face brightened when he recognized his visitor. "Inuyasha," he grinned, "Been a while, hasn't it? Come on in, make yourself at home." He gestured with a sweep of his arm and stepped aside, allowing Inuyasha to enter, and closed the door behind him. "Haven't seen you around the city, Miroku," Inuyasha replied, reciprocating his host's welcoming smile, "So I figured I'd drop by." "No problem." Miroku reassured him, "You're overdue for a visit anyway." The pair grasped hands and bear-hugged each other by way of greeting. Inuyasha tilted his head towards the ceiling. "Got any ladies present?" he inquired with a conspiratorial maneuver of the eyebrows, a joke among buddies. "Not at the moment, no," answered Miroku. He crossed from the entryway to the living room and made himself comfortable on the couch, while Inuyasha took the chair nearby and propped his feet on the coffee table in front of him. Miroku inquired "So? How's your brother been treating you?"

"Same as usual. How's business?"

"Fine. You got the take, right?"

"Yup."

"Good to hear. Anyway, I'm between girlfriends, as you can probably tell. Kagome doing okay?

"We're doing great." Inuyasha tapped his fingers on the arm of the chair, nodding proudly. Miroku reached for a cup of coffee he had placed on the table beside the couch.

"How much did that car out on the driveway cost?"

Miroku paused in reaching for the coffee. The tone in Inuyasha's voice was remarkably harsher than it had been a minute ago; confused as to the interrogating, Miroku turned and looked back at the younger man. His face had changed; the happy smile was gone, replaced by a flat line. But what caught Miroku's eye immediately was that the light in Inuyasha eyes had gone out. They were blank spaces, black voids, with nothing behind them. It suddenly dawned on Miroku that perhaps this was not a friendly visit. Unsure as to the sudden change in his guest's demeanor, he replied "Uh...it was a gift from one of my exes. A rich bitch. She never tried to take it back." Inuyasha's face did not change, and his eyes didn't blink. "Maybe...$20,000?" he asked, his young voice still hard.

"That...could be it. Why do you ask?"

Inuyasha rose from his chair and stood between a sitting Miroku and the coffee table, staring down on him. "That's how much was missing from our take two weeks ago." Inuyasha answered simply. Unable to hold Inuyasha's unsettling gaze, Miroku looked aside. "I don't know what you're talking about." he said softly. Inuyasha's face was still slate, but when he spoke again, his tone was that of a sarcastic parent. "Honestly, Miroku? I have places I'd rather be. Let's make this quick." Miroku looked Inuyasha in the face this time, though not without difficulty. "I'm telling you," he protested, "I have no idea what you're talking about. Look, I don't know what's happened recently with you, but maybe you should just leave and-"

Miroku had no way of even seeing the punch that cracked his nose. His body jerking from the impact, his hand lashed out and spilled coffee all over the white carpet. Looking up in pain, he saw no indication that Inuyasha had ever moved, except that his right fist was bloody, and tightly clenched. "I don't have time for this bullshit, Miroku." Inuyasha's voice was violent, almost raging, with barely suppressed brutality. His ebony irises could not be read. Tears welled up in Miroku's eyes from the pain, and held his hand to his nose to catch the blood. "I-I wouldn't lie to you, Inuyasha. I'm smarter than that. I'm-"

The dealer's hair was nearly torn from his scalp as Inuyasha hurled him from the sofa to the coffee table with no effort, splintering it. Miroku almost disappeared into darkness, holding his head, trying to anticipate. A crushing weight fell on his skull as Inuyasha pressed down with his foot. "You're doing this to yourself!" he shouted, his voice angry and murderous, "Am I going to have to turn your fucking head to pulp for a little thing like this?" Miroku screamed with all he had. He didn't want to die. "I skimmed it! I fucking skimmed it! I'm sorry! Don't kill me, please, for the love of God-"

Inuyasha took his foot off. "That wasn't so hard, was it?" he said laughing, with an expression of satisfaction and pity. Miroku sobbed openly, in pain, yet relieved "You're n-not going to kill me?" he asked hopefully. "'Course not." Inuyasha grinned like a mother at a repentant child. "This is small stuff. It's happened before." Miroku cried even harder. Inuyasha was a nice guy after all, he just had to show tough love sometimes. After all, he had-

Miroku's thoughts trailed off as he noticed the scalpel in the teenager's hand.

"Of course, I never said there wouldn't be consequences..."

"I-I-Inu-Inuyasha...for the love of God...take me to a doctor...don't l-leave me here...p-please.."

"Sorry, no dice. Just had my car reupholstered. See if you can dial one of your sluts or 911 or something."

Inuyasha left the house without a backward glance, getting in his vehicle and producing a cell phone from his pocket, on which he dialed a number. It picked up after three rings.

"Did you take care of it?" A deep voice asked, "What happened?"

"Well..." Inuyasha said, chuckling, "Let's just say he'll have to settle for three-finger discounts from now on."


	2. Chapter 2

The voice on the other end of the phone sighed in exasperation. "Spare me the one-liners, Inuyasha. What kind of shape is Miroku in?"

"Shape?" Inuyasha asked, raising his eyebrows. "I whacked off four of his fucking fingers! What do you think?"

"_Damn it!_" Sesshomaru hissed in anger, "He was our top runner! I meant for you to teach Miroku a lesson, not kill him! If he dies, we could lose the market! Do you even realize what position you've put this family in?"

"Look, Sessh," Inuyasha replied tersely, the edge creeping into his voice. "I did what was necessary. If you wanted it done any other way, you should've either given me more specific instructions or gotten off your ass and done it yourself."

Sesshomaru seemed not to have heard him. "Explain to me how you plan to fix this problem, _brother_."

"I'll find a way! One of the boys should be able to put us in contact with somebody. Miroku was an average dealer at best, and we're lucky the competition wasn't that stiff. I'll find a replacement with overseas connections. We've been meaning to get a foothold in the international trade, and Miroku was too cautious to make a move. This could be a big opportunity for us."

"I certainly hope so." Sesshomaru fell silent briefly, and his tone had softened somewhat when he reinitiated conversation. "You mean well, Inu. I know that. You just need to rein in your impulses, let them build up, then wait for an opportune moment. You aren't the sword of this revolution for nothing."

"Hey," Inuyasha held a hand up, reassuring his older half-brother even though he wasn't in the car. "I get what you're trying to say. You're the brains, I'm the muscle. That's what the old man wanted. Just don't talk down to me, and we won't have any problems. Sound good?"

"Good enough. Have you talked to Kagome lately?"

"No. Been a few weeks. I'm going to take her out tonight, actually."

"You do that. I'll see you this weekend?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Got it." Inuyasha disconnected.

Bankotsu stood outside his apartment, helping himself to a noon drink. Late-night raves gave him killer headaches, and oddly enough, some moderate sake eased them up a little. Trim and muscular, Bankotsu (referred to as "Ban-Ban" by Sango when she was in a playful mood) had black hair tied in a long braid, bronze skin, and a blue cross tattooed on his forehead. He and Inuyasha were two of a kind, had been good friends since high school. Bankotsu was initially wary of Inuyasha's offer to join his little band; he wasn't fond of knuckling under. Sesshomaru, with his condescension and air of superiority, didn't do much to contradict this impression. But Inuyasha treated him as an equal, rather than an underling, and Bankotsu found a nice niche in their little triumvirate (Koga composing the third portion) as long as Inuyasha functioned as an intermediary between them and his big brother, the head of the family. Bankotsu's cell phone rang, and he flipped it open.

"Hey, Ban," Inuyasha answered, "Remember how I told you last night our runner Miroku was skimming, and today I was gonna get our due?"

"Oh, yeah!" Bankotsu broke into a grin. "How'd that go, anyway?"

"Well, I get there, and try to be nice at first. You know, these things happen, and I was just going to put some hurt on him, show him what's what. But he bullshit me. He played dumb."

"I see," Bankotsu said in an understanding voice, "So you laid the punishment on a little thicker."

"Exactly. Now in my opinion, a guy who lies to your face can't be trusted, and his use is limited. Miroku's time was up, I let him know it, and now we need to learn from our mistakes and get a guy who we can not only invest in, but who can get us to expand. Am I making sense?"

Bankotsu snapped his fingers so loudly it could be heard over the phone. Smiling in triumph, it was as if a lightbulb had gone off over his head. "_Perfect _sense, Inu. And as a matter of fact, I know just such a guy."

"Who is he?"

"My brother, Jakotsu."

Inuyasha frowned on the other end. "Jakotsu? That's a new one on me. Didn't know you had a brother."

"He's been living on the other side of the ocean for the past couple of years, but we're cut from the same cloth, believe me. He's a done a hell of a lot of running for the Mafia over there, and if anybody can get us to go international, it's him. He's coming home for a week on a boat the day after tomorrow, and I'll introduce you. Jak's unconventional, but he's smart, and once you get used to him, he's great."

Inuyasha smirked. "Thanks, Ban. Will Kagome and I see you and Sango at the club tonight?"

"You better believe it."


	3. Chapter 3

Miroku's fatal "correction" was only at the tail end of a series of violent acts Inuyasha's family had committed recently. In only the last month, tensions and tremors had swept through the local criminal underworld; the Tasheiki family (which Sesshomaru and Inuyasha inherited from their late father) comprised about 60-70% of the country's behind-the-scenes activities, with much smaller, splintered gangs making up the remaining 30-40%. For the longest time, the Tasheiki clan had had more or less sole dominion over the territories, their fractured rivals being occasional obstacles and annoyances more than genuine threats.

But the competition seemed to be uniting for the first time in Inuyasha's memory; a shadowy figure was using their mutual hatred of the Tasheikis as a bond. Very little was known about this individual, and his very presence in the country had gone unnoticed until this point. Through sources, however, some cooperative, some persuaded, Inuyasha learned a disconcerting fact; personal information that had been previously kept in the family (that Kagome and Inuyasha had recently been married by some of Sesshomaru's acquaintances, for example) was being accessed by this man, who, if he was given a name at all, was called "Naraku". Though he did not have the head for business his half-brother did, Inuyasha was smart enough to know that Naraku would not hesitate to exploit these friendships or romances and cause division, or worse yet, personal grief. Kagome had been planning to move in with Inuyasha, but for her safety, he had her stay at her mother's house for a while until the danger receded somewhat. Having spoken with Sesshomaru, Inuyasha had planned to use the drug trade as a means of taking out the enemy, and gaining total control of the market. That would have to wait, however, until Jakotsu's ship came in. In the meantime, Kagome and Inuyasha planned to reunite.

Now, Inuyasha stared at the blank TV screen in his apartment, waiting for Kagome to arrive. He had offered to come get her himself, but she insisted on coming to him. There was a single knock on the apartment door, before Kagome forced it open.

Their hair was something they had bonded over; she had flowing black locks to rival his own. Kagome was small, but nicely figured, with gentle, brown eyes that could soften Inuyasha's black ones. She was apprehensive, yet also relieved at seeing her lover hadn't changed.

"I'm sorry about this, Kagome," Inuyasha whispered, crossing the room and closing the door gently. "But I had to make sure you wouldn't get hurt."

He pressed her against his body and realized he had forgotten how warm she was. "I understand, Inuyasha," Kagome replied, her voice muffled by his shoulder. "Just let me move in here, like we said. Or at the very least, let me stay for a while. Please...we've got to make up for lost time."

Inuyasha carried Kagome over to the couch like a bride over a threshold, dropping her with a soft "thump", then curled his arms around her body, kissing her black hair. "I was going stir-crazy without you here," he said ravenously, his kisses becoming more intense, moving his tongue to her left cheek. "Missing you so much..."

"I was worried I'd forget how your arms felt hugging me." Kagome had tears in her eyes. "Or if you were hurt! I don't know what I'd have done if something had happened. Mother kept trying to tell me otherwise, but she can't understand how safe you make me feel, how lonely it was not being able to hear you laugh. Don't leave me again, please..."

"I'll always look after you, Kagome. You'll never be alone." Inuyasha flipped his lover around, so she was on top. He pressed his face against hers, chewing her bottom lip, no longer speaking.

Kagome returned his kiss and held it, then moved her head down and rested it on his chest. She closed her eyes, hoping she could sleep here forever, in this position. "I still want to go to the club and see Sango, but that's not for a few hours. I'm not going anywhere until you've held me for a good, long, time."

"That's fine by me," Inuyasha said, nibbling her ear.


	4. Chapter 4

"Sorry to cut this short, Inuyasha," Kagome said gently, standing up, "But do you think we have enough time to go out and buy a decent dress for me before we see Ban and Sango?"

'No problem." Inuyasha pecked her cheek. "I know just the place. We can grab one, come back here and get ready, and it won't take any time at all."

He rose from the couch, and Kagome pulled him in for a hug, letting Inuyasha rock her back and forth in his arms. "Thanks. I love you."

"I love you too, Kagome."

Even if Byakuya still lived with his sister Kagura, and even if Inuyasha wasn't entirely convinced they weren't in an incestuous relationship, Sesshomaru still bought all of his suits from the store owned by him, and Inuyasha figured it to be as good a place as any to check for women's wear. As they pulled up in his car, Inuyasha could see through the window that there were indeed some items Kagome might like. He came in through the door ahead of her.

"Ah! Inuyasha!" Byakuya bounded out from behind the counter. "Sesshomaru's mentioned you from time to time. I assume you know this is where he purchases all his clothing. Has he ever mentioned me to you?"

Byakuya's hair was tied back in a ponytail, his face was ghostly pale, he actually wore lipstick, and he had a distinctive, rather nasal, voice. Of course, this wasn't a social call.

"Sometimes," Inuyasha said casually.

"I was beginning to wonder if you'd drop by. I guess good taste runs in the family, hmm?" He chuckled.

Inuyasha looked aside and snorted dismissively. "Don't lump me in with _him_. We're here for Kagome." He indicated the girl entering behind him.

Byakuya zipped over in front of Kagome and took her hand in his. "I see," he purred, "Your date for the evening, I assume. What a fine specimen of woman. Is there anything I can _help _you find?"

"Um...no thanks," Kagome said shortly, jerking her hand away. "I can shop for myself." She walked off into the clothing racks, paused for a moment, then took a couple of dresses off the rack and went into the back to try them on.

Inuyasha went ahead and leaned back against the counter, resting his hands on it, as Byakuya waited with him. A minute went by in silence.

"Oh. I almost forgot," Inuyasha remarked casually, pushing himself off the counter and sauntering over to the other man. "Just so we're clear, whatever Kagome picks out, we'll take." He smiled warmly and put his hands in his pockets.

Byakuya blinked a couple times in confusion, then chortled in uncertainty. "Of course...I...figured that was the idea."

Inuyasha stared uncomprehending, until the words finally reached him, then laughed as if he'd been told a joke. "No, no," he corrected, as though he were a mother instructing a naive child. "What I said was...whatever Kagome picks out, we'll _take._"

Byakuya still looked lost. Inuyasha put a friendly hand on his shoulder, still smiling a little.

When it finally dawned on the storeowner what Inuyasha meant, he looked away, nervous. "Inuyasha, you know I...couldn't let you get away with that."

Byakuya could feel the kid's gaze burning into him, forcing him to make eye contact. Inuyasha's grip tightened steadily, his thumb digging into the pressure point of Byakuya's shoulder blade. "I haven't had the best day, Byakuya," he said softly, his face blank, eyes dead. "And I'd hate to be embarrassed in front of Kagome. Should we take this outside?"

Byakuya's was now covered in cold sweat, and his lower lip trembled. "D-don't, I can't stand..."

"Outside. Now."

"Wait!" The victim's voice was now a panicked whisper. "You can take it."

"That's better." The young mobster's face broke into a grin that looked more villainous than threatening.

"I don't know why you have to be this way," Byakuya whimpered, traces of resentment and reproach coming into his voice now that he was out of danger. "Sesshomaru's always been quite generous."

"Yeah. Well, like I said," Inuyasha squeezed the manager's shoulder one last time before shoving him hard against the wall. "Don't lump me in with him."

Kagome reappeared on cue, wearing a perfect "lady in red" skirt. "How do I look, Inu?" she asked, turning around.

Her husband took her hands in his and kissed her lips. "Dead sexy."

Kagome turned to Byakuya, who rubbed his shoulder, trying to look absent-minded. "How much?"

"Oh! Um, nothing! It's on the house." He tried to look cheerful, as though his life hadn't been threatened a minute ago.

"Oh, I can't accept-"

"No, I insist!" Byakuya's voice now bordered on hysterical, desperation showing on his sweating face.

"It's okay, Kagome. He's got it." Inuyasha reassured, giving him a smirk. "Thanks, Byak."

A full ten seconds after the bell rang in their wake, Byakuya finally remembered what to say.

"You're welcome."


End file.
